Bands you would travel for

[Cello]

So I've seen it suggested a few times that people would be willing to travel to see certain bands play live if their tour wouldn't take them near to where they live. I got back today from a trip to Norway (for 2.5 days) to see Seventh Wonder (with Illusion Suite as a support act) with a buddy. I was wondering about how far people would want to go to see some of their favourite bands?

How far are you willing to travel? how much would you spend booking the tickets and hotel stay/hostel/park bench in advance? And most importantly, which bands would you do this for?


To start it off:
I travelled from Eindhoven, Holland to Oslo Rygge, Norway. Then from there a bus to Moss town, a ferry from Moss to Horten and then a bus from Horten to Sandefjord where the gig was at. We rented an apartment, which we slept at for 8 hours the first night (we checked out the pub beforehand...gotta know what beers they have on draft, right) and then slept 2.5 hours after the gig cos we had to get an early taxi/bus back to the ferry in order to make our flight on time.
That's how far I went...how far would you guys go?

 

[Power_Metal_Dom]

I marvel at and applaud the efforts fans will employ to go see a band but what I most marvel at is their bank accounts. And often their amount of free time too.

Given enough of each and there would be no stopping me, but being both penniless and a student means a distinct lack of each.

However, now that I'm one exam away from graduating and have a job in Germany, I feel that within a month I will have the best shot yet at actually going to see the bands I love live.

How far are you willing to travel? how much would you spend booking the tickets and hotel stay/hostel/park bench in advance? And most importantly, which bands would you do this for?

Hard to answer because they all depends on varying ratios. If I can go really far quite cheaply to see bands I'm less obsessed with then I will, but probably also travel not very far but expensively to see a true favourite.

I don't think accommodation matters so much for these things because if you're doing it right you're either too drunk to care where you lay your head or too full of energy to sleep at all! On three occasions I've prebooked a travelodge, drunkenly slept under a bridge and just bounced around a train station all night waiting for the morning train home

 

[1928]

It's all a matter of funds for me. If I could afford it, I'd be traveling all the way to Europe just to see a few choice bands that have never/probably will never make it overseas.

Unfortunately, that probably won't happen very often. I'll willingly drive across the country to see Avantasia, for example, if they only play one or two dates in the US, but in the end it really all comes down to how much money I have.

 

[MetalCodd]

I'm lucky that I live just outside London, as most bands will go there when they come to the UK. I only usually travel to see festivals (and even then only indoor festivals eg. Firefest). The only time I travelled to see a band play on their own was when I went to Manchester to see Iron Maiden back in 2006 (AMoLaD tour). The other times I tried to travel to see a band got derailed by a change in working hours (although one of those times was an attempt to see Dragonforce in Sheffield on the Hearts n Minds tour, so some will say I got lucky there!).

Being able to sleep somewhere is very important to me. The one time I travelled to see a band without booking accommodation I had to hang around in Gloucester for 5-6 hours waiting for my train. It was soul destroying. The streets were full of drunken chavs and I was sure as hell not bouncing around the train station full of energy.

 

[Kingface]

Considering I have seen a good portion of my favourite bands already, some of which I've been lucky to see quite locally, I don't think I would travel too far to see any band.

I'll use Avantasia as an example. I really like them but I wouldn't consider them one of my favourites and it wouldn't bother me too much if I never got to see them live in my lifetime, so I'm not willing to go the great lengths I would have to go to see them.

Maybe if a lot less bands that I consider favourites played in places in the UK that aren't too difficult for me to get to, I would have a different attitude about it.

I've been to a couple of shows in London and will be doing so again to see Blind Guardian a week on Sunday. My reason for going is that I REALLY want to see them live and this could be my last realistic chance of doing so. It isn't too much hassle but it's hardly on my doorstep and it's pretty damn expensive with the cost of travelling, accomodation etc, and I think that's about as far as I would go to see any band.

Of course, if I was ever to think about going on Holiday at a particular time and I knew of a band I really liked playing in the country or area I was thinking about going at that time, then that's something I'd certainly consider, but not planning a trip that far PURELY for that show.

 

[Cello]

I'm currently considering flying to the New York city area for a short vacation around the time Suspyre will have their release party of the album they're currently recording, and I would prolly consider traveling for the Power Quest release party as well (if there's gonna be one). The only real limiter for me is money as well, but so far I've been very lucky in getting great deals for airplane tickets and finding people that were willing to house me for a few days (sometimes for a small amount of money).

There's still bands I'll travel for, but within a budget. Time isn't really a limiter most of the time, since I'm a student and can easily get days off from my job at the university as well. So unless it's at the start of the semester (busy time at my job) or during an exam period, I've got all the time in the world

 

[MetalCodd]

I know somebody who lives around London, and travelled to New York to see Twisted Sister. He decided not to travel to Derby to see them at Bloodstock as he thought it was "too much hassle".

Andy once travelled to Athens to see a band, but he won't tell anyone who it was.

 

[Andiferum]

If I like something enough, I'll travel for it. My main act for travelling is Iron Maiden. I've seen them in England, France, Germany, Belgium and Greece.

 

[armeckthefirst]

i've traveled for owl city (i know owl city is not really a band to talk about on a power quest forum but still....)

 

[RedFox742]

Unfortunately, that probably won't happen very often. I'll willingly drive across the country to see Avantasia, for example, if they only play one or two dates in the US, but in the end it really all comes down to how much money I have.

This. Avantasia with Kiske and Hansen I'd go anywhere in the U.S. for. But I don't think they're gonna make it here... :/

 

[1928]

This. Avantasia with Kiske and Hansen I'd go anywhere in the U.S. for. But I don't think they're gonna make it here... :/

I know, ugh.